Electrode and method of jointing same



Patented May 27, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BETHUNE G. KLUGH, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FEDERAL PHOSPHORUS COMPANY, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, A CORPORATION OF ALABAMA.

ELECTRODE AND METHOD 0F JOINIING SAME.

Application llled November 8, 1920, Serial No. $121,944` Renewed November 9, i1922. Serial No. 599,835.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, BETHUNE G. Kanon, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Electrodes and Methods of ointing Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method of joiningl the sections of electrodes as (placed in serv1ce in an electric furnace, an has for its object to improve such joints so as to give greater mechanical strength and ele`ctr1cal conductivity to electrodes at the joints with resulting increased len th of service and greater economy in the e ectrode consumptlon of electric furnace operation.

This invention is especially valuable in its application to the smelting of hosphutes in an enclosed electric furnace o the type described in my pending application, Serial No, 3878', filed June 10th, 1920. This alue lies in the fact that it is necessary that about ten feet of electrode be carried below the holder, in order to take advantage of the characteristics of said described furnace in its'operation upon the smelting of phosphates. This length of electrode when suspended below the holder in its normal serv*- lce, places unusual strain upon the joint and thus reqlires that said joint have as nearly as possi le the body strength and conductivit of the electrode. It is obvious that any breaks in the continuity of the electrode at its joint will result in increased resistance to the assage of the electric current therethrong winch results in heatin even arcing, and air burnin about the joints, often resulting in rupturmg the electrode by the accumulative destructlve action. and causing the loss of all sections at and below the broken joint. It is further obvious that resulting interruptions in the continuity of furnace operation will be disastrous to the commercial operation of the furnace. The

herein-described invention is equally ap licable to electrode -oints in all electric ur nace operations wlere electrodes are used, whether melting or smelting, continuous or intermittent.

The electrode which in the )resent state of the artis practically stan ard for the service of continuous eed or slip electrodes, consists of round sections made in lengths of 5 feet and upward, each havin female threads in each end in a centra screw sent. The screw seats are concentric with the aligning longitudinal axes of the electrodes and as the ends of the electrodes are planed oil' to a smooth face at right angies to their ali ning longitudinal axes, a connecting pin o substantially the same material as the electrode is provided for joining the sections together by screwing same into the screw seats of each two contiguous electrodes, and thus bringing them together face to face like a continuous ieee, which is fed downward through a s ip-holder by means of which the electric current is delivered to the electrode for passage into the furnace for its transformation into heat energy.

The means heretofore employed of making up the joints as hereinbefore described, consist in either de ending upon the contact made by the face ends of the electrodes when screwed together by the connecting pin, or of coating the threads andfaced ends with a paste made u of wholly or parttlv grapl-litized carbon, Wit i some aqueous bin er consisting either ofwater alone or of a solution of molasses or other syrup of like nature.

It is however, Well known to those experienced in the use of electrodes in electric furnace practice, that with the various sizes of the materials entering carbon electrodes, it is practicably impossible to always machine threads and faces involvedY in the joining of electrodes that will give such an accurate and continuous contact throughout the joint as will even approximate in mechanical strength and electrical conductivity a joint obtained by the use of some joint compound. Furthermore, the section of the electrode that is in the furnace is essentially at a high temperature from conducted heat. and when a paste of conductive carbon with any aqueous syrup solution binder is ap lied to the up r end of such electrode whi e in service, tie said binder material hardens and becomes immobile immediately thus defeating the object of the paste as a medium for spreading over the surface and completely filling all voids in the joint.

There appears further in the smelting of phosphatic materials in the electric furnace to be some reaction of the gaseous and liquid materials in the charge upon any joint compound of a binder of aqueoussugar solutions to the extent of the joint being attacked on all of its contact surface, resulting in broken electrical Contact and resultant heating from resistance with often ruptures said electrode at saidjoint.

My invention has for its object to produce an electrode joint superior to any heretofore attained and it is based upon the following steps, to-witz- 1st: I select a paste of such character as to be softened by the heat at the joint, when made with an electrode in service, and which will not therefore harden before it can flow into and complete] fil1- all voids in the joint. Preferably tie paste is composed of comminuted electrically conductive carbon and a bituminous binder thinly liquid in temperatures from 175 to 200 C.

2nd: I avoid any tendency of paste or generated gases being trapped in the inner end of the screw sockets and preventing the positive surface contact between the electrode ends, by the provision of vents leading from the inner ends of the screw seats and adapted to both vent the air or generated gases andto permit anv excess paste in the screw joint to extrude. his feature 1s of great importance in that it avoids air pockets, prevents an tendency of trapped paste in the seat to iold the electrode ends out of contact, and enables a thick paste to be employed with the assurance that it will till all voids in joint.

3rd: I bake the joint before it assumes load bearing and current conducting functions.

In the accompanying drawings I illustrate the preferred manner of practicing my invention;

Fig. 1 being a cross sectional view throu h an enclosed electric furnace showing the electrode in vertical cross section with its joint in the process of being baked.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the baked joint between electrode sections.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fi 1.

Similar reference numera s refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

I will first describe the manner of compounding and applying the paste which I prefer to use in making the electrode joints.

first make up a paste consisting of either amorphous graphite or carbon lar ly graphitized, and round so that about fty per cent by weigit. thereof will pass a 200 mesh sieve and all will pass a 100 mesh sieve. I then mix with said carbon about twenty per cent of its weight of a mixture of tar and pitch practically free from naphthalene. The said mixture of tar and pitch should be in ratio of about one-third tar to two-thirds pitch, and the tar must have been previously dehydrated, which dehydration can be erformed by heating two hours at 150 centigrade.

The tar and pitch mixture above described is heated to a freely li uid state and the aforesaid carbon thoroug ily and intimately mixed, said mixing bein conducted with the whole mass heated to etween 175 and 200O C.

The paste above described works very successfully in the hereinafter described procedure, but I have further found that the oint made therewith is further improved by the addition of finely divided metal, preferably clean cast iron borings of not over 20 mesh size in proportion to about 15 per cent of the Weight of the carbon, to the mixture and mixing all the constituents together at the temperature of 17 5 to 200 C.

This paste is applied to the electrode ends while hot, the temperature of such ends being maintained between 200 and 300 C. so that the paste above described will retain its plastic condition when applied and will remain so until the two sections of the electrodes to be joined are screwed together on the threaded pin to the full tension and face contact desired for the joint.

I have found that when the above described procedure is carried out joints are made that have almost the electrical conductivity of the body of the electrode sections, and no attacking of the joints in the smelting of phosphatic materials is evident. This has been proven by long comparative tests in the same furnace and under similar conditions with the result that the troubles with defective joints made up in accordance with my present method were practically nil as against almost continuous trouble from joints made up with pastes of carbon and aqueous solution binders as in the standard ractice heretofore prevailing in the art.

i ile I have described the mixture and method used in very specific detail as to exact proportions and temperatures, which I have found to give the best results, it is obvious that the purpose of my invention is to lproduce a paste that will soften when heate and therefore can be siread freely so as to fill all voids in the joint and that will be of such character that when baked it will provideand maintain electrical conductivity and mechanical strength such as will approximate conditions obtaining in the body of the electrode section. It is therefore further obvious that with varying characteristics of available constituents for such a paste. those skilled in the art may depart somewhat from the details I have described and still remain within the spirit of my present invention, I, therefore, do not wish to be confined to the exact proportions and details herein described.

l I have. found that certain details of procedure render the use of joint paste more effective and constitute a further improvement upon the present state of the art of electrical smelting to which it is applicable.

When the paste for electrode joints is composed in part of bituminous material a portion thereof will be gasified in the carbonization thereof as its temperature rises in service, and there will be considerable pressure developed within; the tightly litted joints of the electrode sections with each other and the connecting screw pin. The same conditions will obtain where the paste is an aqueous solution as the Water will vaporize at the temperatures and develop pressure and voids in the joint. Moreover, without regard to the character of the paste used, if it be attempted to fill all voids in the screw joints the screw seats must have an excess of paste to lill the screw joint voids before the screw pin is inserted and yet no excess must remain therein after the that the abutting end faces pm 1s screwed in which would prevent the end faces of the electrodes being brought to proper contact without developing torsion on the screw pin which might injure or fracture the latter. Having these conditions in mind, I rovide the electrode sections 1 and 2 with t rcaded screw seats 3, which seats are disposed concentrically in the electrode ends and at the inner end of each seat I provide a lateral vent hole 4 which opens through the side of its respective electrode and is suiiicient in diameter to form a vent opening for the escape of air and steam or gases generated in the joint and an extrusion opening through which any excess paste trapped at the inner end of the screw seat may exude. A screw pin 5 is adapted to screw into the two seats 3 of sections to be joined and is of such length as to e11- gage the ends of the seats at the saine time 6 of the joint come into full and complete surface contact. The screw in is composed of conductife material like the electrode. The vents in practiceV are about five-eighths of an inch in diameter and are drilled inwardly at right angles through the sides of the IMI electrodes. In practice the paste is first applied to the ends and screw seats of both electrodes and the pin is then screwed into one electrode seat, after which the other electrode is hoisted into position to engage the screw pin in its respective screw seat and turned to screw the electrode sections together on the pin. Where my preferred paste is used bothl electrode ends are brought to the desired temperature to maintain the fluidity of the paste during the making of the joint, but where other astes are used the joint should be made with the electrode ends at such temperature as to avoid the nick hardening of the paste and permit t e latter to remain suiliciently fluid to flow into and fill the joint voids and exude through the vents 4 as the joint is screwed tight. Obviously by this arran ement no abnormal torsion strain is place upon the screwpin and the joint as a whole has allA voids perfectly filled with paste.

The method of and means for baking the paste joint for electrodes is illustrated in ig. 1. Here I show an enclosed electricI furnace 7 having an arch 8 with a top opening through which the sectional electrode enters the furnace. I provide a platform 9 raised sutlicientl above the electrode holder 10 to allow tie required travel of the electrode in the revulation thereof. This platform is insulated or constructed of in sulating material such as concrete so that no electrical contact is possible with the elec trode which projects upwardly therethrough. The workmen in making the joints work on this platform and as the electrodes are consumed in the furnace new sectionsV are added by being joined onto the electrode in service and thus interruption of furnace operation is avoided. To obtain best results it is necessary to completely bake the paste `oint before permitting it to support the burden of the electrode in the furnace or conduct the current thereto. By baking I mean the heating of the paste joint to a point Where it reaches a chemical stability substantially equal to that of the body of the electrode sections joined.

I illustrate this baking procedure in Fig. 1. After the top section of the electrode 2 is joined to the bottom section 1, by the nforedescribed rocedure` I take a heating jacket 11 whci is made up of split sections, as shown in cross section in Fig. 3, and surround the electrode with such sectional jacket so that as the joint of said continuous made-up electrode is passed slowlv down through said jacket, the baking of t e oint compound is completed before it reaches holder 10 to come conductor of electric current into said furnace as Well as a su port for the portion of the electrode be ow it. This jacket 11 is composed preferably in construction of electrical re' sistance heat elements 12, to which electric current is supplied by means of. a flexible electric cable 13. thus providing for its remoral while makin up the joint as aforedescribed. A switc 14 can be used to cut olf current after the joint has been baked.

This heating jacket may be made up of any other suitable heating device such as a gas burner. or even of a solid fuel burner of annular sectional design may be adapted to this service, and it should be understood 'that I claim broadly thefeatnre of baking an electrode joint prior to its being placed in the electrical circuit and assuming the burden of sustaining the suspended electrode below. I thus attain in eect a continuous electrode of substantially uniform strength and conductivity which is made up of sections which are completely bonded together before assuming any active function in the furnace.

l'laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A method of `joining electrodes consisting in coating contacting surfaces thereof with thermally softened carbonaceous paste.

i2. A method of joining sections of electrodes consisting of coating contacting surfaces thereof with a paste, said paste being composed of a mixture of co-mminuted electrically conductive carbon. and a binder of thermallj liquefied bituminous material.

3. method of joining sections of electrodes consisting of coating contactincr surfaces thereof with a paste composed of comminuted electrically conductive carbon, a comminutcd metal. and a hinder of thermally liquelied bituminous material.

4. A method oi" joining sections of electrodes consisting of coating contacting snrfaces thereof with a paste softened for the application by heat and composed of comminuted graphiti'zed carbon mixed with pitch and dehydrated tar, said tar-pitch mixture being of such character as to be thinly liquid at 175 to 20() grade.

5. A method of joining sections of elec. trodcs consisting of coating contacting surfaces thereof with a paste softened for the application by heat, said paste being composed of comminuted graphit-ized carbon and finely divided cast iron borings mixed with pitch and dehydrated tar, said tar-pitch mixture being of such character as to be thinly liquid at 175 to 200 degrees centigrade.

6. A method of joining sections of electrodes consisting in coating contacting surfaces thereof with thermally softened carbonaceous paste` said electrode sections being heated to a temperature between 200 degrecs and 300 degrees centigrade prio!` to application.

7. A method of joining sections of electrodes consisting of coating contacting sur faces thereof with a paste com osed of a mixture of comminnted electrica ly conductive carbonsand a binder of thermally liquefied bituminous material, said electrode sections being heated to a temperature 'between 200 degrees and 30() degrees centigrade prior tothe application of said paste.

8. A method of joining sections of electrodes consisting of coating contacting snrfaces thereof with a paste composed of comminuted electrically conductive carbon, a comminuted metal, and a hinder of thermally liquefied bituminous material, said electrode sections being heated to a temperature between 200 de rees and 300 degrees centigrade prior to tie application of said paste.

9. A method of joining an electrode section to an electrode in service to form a continuous electrode, which consists in coating the contacting surfaces with a paste which will not immediately harden when subjected to the service electrodes temperature, and baking said paste in the joint hefore the latter assumes its load supporting and current carrying functions in the furnace.

10. The method of making continuous electrodes, which consists in connecting an electrode section to the electrode in service by a joint having its voids filled with paste which is baked before the joint is interposed in the path of the electric current.

11. A method of joining sections of electrodes consistin in coatin contacting surfaces thereof with therme ly softened carhounceous paste, and baking said electrode joint prior to placing same in the electric circuit.

12. A method of joinin sections of electrodes consisting of first lxeating and then coating the contacting surfaces thereof with :i paste composed of a mixture of comminuted electrically conductive carbon, and n hinder of thermally li ueiied bituminous material and baking sniii electrode joint at u temperature sufficient to carbonize said )aste in said joint contacts prior to placing it in the electric circuit supplying electric current to the furnace in which said electrode is in service.

13. A method of joining electrode sections having screw seats and a screw connecting pin, w iich consists in coating the joint with paste, and venting the seats to permit the escape of air, generated gases and excess paste as the sections are screwed together on the pin.

14. A method of joining electrode sections havingscrew seats and a screw connecting pin, which consists in heating the electrode ends to a predetermined temperature, coatin the ends and seat with a paste which wi l remain soft at 4the tem rature of the electrode ends, and venting t 1e seats to permit the escape of air, generated gases and excess paste as the sections are screwed together on the pin.

15. The hereindescribcd process of makin up electrode joints consisting in provi ingextrusion and vent o enngs communicating from the base of t e screw seats of said electrode sections, coating all contact surfaces of electrode sections with an excess of paste composed of a mixture of comminnted electrically conductive carbon and a thermall liquefied bituminous binder, joining sai sections of electrode by means of screw connecting pin, and assuring complete lling of all voids about contact suraces by causing the excess of said paste coatin said screw contact surfaces to be extru ed through said provided vent openings. l

16. The hereindescribed process of makmg up electrode joints consisting vi ing extrusion and vent' o emngs communicating from the base of t e screw seats of said electrode sections, coating all contact surfaces of electrode sections with an excess of comminuted graphitized carbon mixed with pitch and dehydrated tar, said tarpitch mixture being in such proportion as to be thinly liquid at 175 to 200 degrees centigrade, joining said sections of electrode by means of screw connecting pin, and assuring complete filling of all voids about the screw contact surfaces by causing the excess of said paste coating said contact surfaces to be extruded through said provided vent openins. 17. e hereindescribed process of makin up electrode `joints consisting in proviing extrusion and vent o nings communicating from the base of t e screw seats of said electrode sections, coating all contact surfaces'cf electrode sections with an excess of .paste composed of a mixture of oomminuted electrically conductive carbon and a thermally lifieed bituminous binder, and joining sai sections of electrode by means of screw connectin pin, assuring comfplete lling of all voi s about contact sur a ces by causing the excess of said paste in procoating said screw surfaces to be extruded throu h said provided, vent openings.

18. he hereindescribed process of mak ing electrode joints consisting in providing extrusion and vent o enings communicatin from the base of tige screw seats of sai electrode sections, coating all contact surfaces of electrode sections with an excess of paste composed of comminuted electrically conductive carbon, a comminuted metal and a binder of thermally 1i ueed bituminous material and joining sai sections of elec trode by means of screw connecting pin, assuring complete filling of all voids about contact surfaces by causing the excess of said paste coatin said screw contact surfaces to be extru ed throu h said provided vent openings, baking sai electrode joint by extraneously applied heat prior to the passing of said jomt'of said resulting continuous electrode into the electric circuit supplying the electric furnace in which it is used with electric current, said baking being performed at a temperature suilcient to completely carbonize the said joint paste, substantially as described.

19. An electrode having in its end a screw socket with a vent at the inner end thereof.

20. An electrode having at its end a screw socket with an opening adapted to permit the joint paste to extrude therethrough.

In testimony whereof I aix m si ature.

BETHUNE G. L GH.

Witness:

N 0mm Wm. 

